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England skipper Harry Kane defended his international teammate Declan Rice after the Arsenal midfielder withdrew from the recent international window, attributing the decision to injury "struggles" that have been affecting him "for a while."
Rice was among five England players who pulled out of this autumn's extended international break, sitting out four Nations League matches, starting with Saturday's home clash against reigning world and European champions Spain.
Kane has previously spoken out against players who skip international duty between major tournaments, famously declaring: "I think England comes before anything. England comes before club."
Yet Kane raised no doubts about Rice's dedication. Instead, his backing of the Arsenal midfielder highlighted concerns over his physical condition heading into the coming months.
"I spoke to Dec," Kane told reporters this week. "He sent me a voice note. I know Dec goes above and beyond for club and country, so I know how much he puts in and I know he's been struggling for a while with his problems."
What Injury 'Issues' Is Declan Rice Struggling With?
"The great thing about Declan is he's so consistent, so dependable," Mikel Arteta once said admiringly. "He's always there." Rice is almost too dependable for his own good.
During the World Cup, the ever-present midfielder disclosed that he had been managing nerve pain in his hamstring since Christmas. Thomas Tuchel repeatedly considered resting Rice from the ordeal of grinding through another punishing 90 minutes but couldn't bring himself to deprive the team of its driving force — especially if it meant handing the curiously overlooked Kobbie Mainoo any playing time.
Rice dutifully battled through the discomfort — even during the meaningless third-place playoff — and was so eager to return to Arsenal training that he spent part of his break texting Arteta about when he could come back.
Arsenal's boss held back from starting his key player in the Community Shield, but has included Rice in all six starting lineups across the club's Premier League and Champions League matches so far. In the last game before the international break, Rice played the full 90 minutes, lashing out at Malick Yalcouyé in stoppage time during a chastening defeat.
Will Declan Rice Be Fit for Arsenal?
Rather than signaling any serious setback, Rice's withdrawal appears to be a matter of fatigue at the start of what looks set to be another fixture-heavy campaign.
"Someone like Dec needs to get himself right and get himself fresh," Kane explained, "he has big games for club, big games for country, coming up."
The duration of this club break may not suit everyone, but it could prove beneficial for Arsenal. The Gunners don't play again until Leeds United visit on Saturday, Oct. 10, giving Rice nearly three weeks to fully recuperate before the next demanding stretch begins.
Arteta's side have nine fixtures crammed into the four weeks leading up to the November international break, with every midweek slot occupied by either Champions League or Carabao Cup action. There is also a daunting trip to Kane's Bayern Munich (Oct. 21) to factor in, along with a visit to Liverpool's Anfield on Nov. 1. It would take considerably more serious "issues" than Rice's current complaints to rule him out of those marquee fixtures.